Imaginary
by acochran5
Summary: Imaginary, that word echoed inside Izuku's mind. Suddenly, his whole world was uprooted by that single word, he was left fumbling for control, a hopeless battle, but one he could not afford to lose. He had to stay strong, to be a hero, that was what Kacchan had always taught him anyway. (Au, friendship, struggle, growing up) COMPLETE


**Disclaimer: I do not own BNHA**

**Warnings: Suicide attempt (sorta)**

* * *

Kindergarten

Izuku pulled his knees to his chest, eyes glossed over, staring straight ahead. Blood trickled down his knee, scuff marks all over his body. He let out a small sob, burying his face in his hands, thinking back to the things those mean boys had said. First day of kindergarten and he was already so much different than all the other kids.

He'd barely gotten a word out before the largest boy sneered and shoved him to the ground and ran off with his other friends, laughing about how much of a girl Izuku was. Izuku felt so lonely. Only the first day and he didn't want to go back inside.

He wished he could sit there in the darkest corner of the small playground forever. He just wanted to go home and ask his mom to never send him back to this horrible place again. Izuku was so lost in his own self-pity, little heart pounding in his throat, he didn't notice the footsteps until they were right in front of him.

Izuku slowly peered up into the deep red eyes of a boy around the same size as him. He had a deep scowl on his face. It was almost like he had appeared out of nowhere. Izuku didn't remember the boy from his class, so he must've been in another one. "Hey, what are you doing crying here for?"

Izuku wiped his eyes, sniffling. "They pushed me." He said, pointing at a group of boys dangling from the monkey bars and playing around on the jungle gym.

"Yeah, whatever, but what are you crying about it for?"

"I don't know. What else can I do?"

"Walk up and punch them in the face!" the boy punched the air, slugging imaginary opponents.

"Oh no, I could never do that." Izuku said, frowning.

"Why not?"

"It's mean. You can go fight them if you want, but I couldn't."

The boy scowled at him, "You're such a sissy. It's not hard. Just swing your fist as hard as you can!"

Izuku stared at the ground and pulled some grass. "No, I don't want to." Glancing up from the ground back up into the boy's fierce eyes, Izuku asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm Bakugou Katsuki, and I have to be honest, it's not really a pleasure to meet you, you big crybaby!"

Izuku frowned and went back to staring at the ground. "But no one else has asked me to play with them today, so I guess I will give you the honor."

"You want to play with me?"

"Want is a pretty strong word, but whatever."

Izuku smiled and got up from the ground, dusting himself off. "You wanna play heroes?" he asked.

"Okay, fine. But just this once."

The two of them played heroes together for the rest of recess until it was time to go inside. Katsuki followed Izuku into his classroom. "I didn't know this was your classroom."

"Yeah, well it is, nerd. You've got a problem with that?"

"Um, no. Of course not." Izuku said frowning. "I just thought I would remember seeing you. Or hear your name called."

"Oh yeah, well I didn't hear your name called either, genius."

"Really? Well, my name's Midoriya Izuku! Wanna be friends?"

"… Sure. Someone's gotta look out for a deku like you anyways."

"Deku?"

The other boy nodded. "It means useless." He said matter-of-factly.

"But I'm not useless!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Then go and beat up those bullies like you're supposed to."

"No!"

Katsuki opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the teacher approaching them. "What seems to be the problem over here? I'm Miss Penny, your teacher, if you remember."

"Hi Miss Penny, I'm Izuku, and this is Kacchan." He said, gesturing to the boy beside him.

"Oh, well it's a pleasure to meet you, Kacchan." Miss Penny said, holding out her hand.

"That's Katsuki to you, hag!"

Izuku stared wide-eyed as Miss Penny only continued to smile, even faced with that insult. Wow, Miss Penny was a saint. "So, what seems to be the problem over here?"

"Kacchan said I'm useless!"

"That's because he won't beat up the bullies!"

"Now, Kacchan, don't be mean to your friend." Miss Penny chastised lightly. "It's not nice to call your friends useless. Now apologize."

"No!"

Izuku whimpered. "Fine! Sorry, you happy, Deku!"

"Yes." Izuku turned to Miss Penny, "Thank you."

"Anytime. Don't let Kacchan boss you around too much, okay?"

"Okay!" Izuku said and waited for Miss Penny to walk off before turning to Katsuki, "Let's go color!"

Bakugou rolled his eyes and followed him. "Whatever,"

* * *

1st Grade

Izuku became so close to Katsuki, the other boy was his only friend. He came over to play all the time. Katsuki had a bad temper and would often make Izuku cry, but that didn't stop them from becoming best friends. His mother was always super nice to Katsuki, though Izuku often caught his mother looking worriedly at the two of them. But he didn't know why.

"Nerd, hurry up, get over here!"

"Coming!" Izuku cried hurrying over to the blonde and skidded to a halt in front of him, rocking on the balls of his feet in excitement. "Where are we going?"

"Down there." Katsuki pointed to a little grove of trees by the park. Izuku could see a hole between the trees that he assumed slid downward somewhere.

"We're supposed to stay here so mommy can see us."

"And I bet you do everything your mommy says, don't you?"

Izuku nodded. "Well don't! Are you coming, or are you going to be a little sissy about it."

Izuku shook his head, "I'm not a sissy! I'll do it."

Katsuki smirked, "Good, come on!" Izuku took one last glance over his shoulder at his mom, before gathering his resolve and running off the other way after his friend.

"Wait for me Kacchan," Izuku whisper-yelled.

Izuku couldn't see Kacchan, as he had already slid down the hole, but he could hear the other's voice yelling to hurry from below. Izuku took a deep breath sat down beside the hole, slowly shimmying down the dirt path between the trees.

But his foot slipped and he screamed as he descended the hole, tumbling out the other side and landing on his face. "Oww," Izuku murmured, slowly getting up and standing up he saw the scratches on his hands and his knees. Izuku sniffled and then cried.

"Get a grip. God, Deku." Katsuki said and grabbed his hand, dragging him off. Izuku wiped his eyes as they came to a clearing. The dirt pathway was like a secret tunnel and it opened up to the river on the outer edge of the park.

"Wow…" Izuku said, his eyes brightening. "Kacchan, it was a secret passageway! It's like the only way to get here."

"Actually, we could've just come down from there." Katsuki pointed out the hill leading down to the river.

"… Oh."

Izuku was disappointed, but it was still cool they'd come out of a dirt mound under the hill. "Izuku! There you are!" his mother rushed over to him as Izuku glanced up at her, a bit startled by her sudden entrance.

"Mommy…"

"What were you thinking! I was so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry." Izuku said as she wrapped her arms around him.

* * *

2nd grade

"So, he's not going to get a quirk?" Izuku's mother asked.

"No ma'am, I'm sorry. The results are conclusive, your son will most likely be quirkless for the rest of his life."

"Oh…" Inko glanced at Izuku who barely allowed himself to register what the doctor had said. "Come on, sweetie, let's go." Inko said, quickly standing up and grabbing his hand, leading him numbly out of the office.

That night, Izuku was watching the All Might video when he heard his mom come in. "Mommy, I can still be a hero, right."

Izuku stared at her and watched as her eyes filled with tears and she rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Izuku, I wish everything could be different." She sobbed. "I wish you could be a hero without a quirk, but… but it's so dangerous. There are other options out there." She sniffed, giving him a watery smile, "We just have to find them. I love you, Izuku."

Izuku stared at the wall behind his mother, his entire room filled with hero merch, and all he could do was hope this was a nightmare while the shattered remains of his dreams fell around him.

* * *

3rd grade

"Ouch," Izuku yelped as he was shoved to the ground and taunted relentlessly. Katsuki, the one Izuku thought would always be his friend, sat off to the side and watched, glaring straight through the bullies and right down to Izuku's soul.

"Kacchan, help me!" Izuku cried as he felt himself punched and fell to the ground, gasping for air. Izuku squeezed his eyes shut and took all their insults, their claims that he was useless, a failure. He was, after all. You couldn't be a hero without a quirk. You couldn't be anything at all without a quirk.

When Izuku opened his eyes, Kacchan was the first one he saw. "Deku," he growled. "What the hell, why didn't you stand up for yourself!"

"I'm sorry, Kacchan." Izuku whispered, staring at him. "But it's hard, they're so much stronger. And don't you know, I don't even have a quirk."

He scoffed, "As if that's an excuse for being a weak pansy. You're an idiot, stupid! When are you going to learn that you can't be nice all the time. That if people aren't going to be nice to you, you can't be nice to them either! Useless, Deku!"

"Kacchan," Izuku sniffed, his eyes becoming watery and he couldn't hold the tears back as they slid down his cheeks relentlessly.

"You idiot." Katsuki said, kneeling beside him.

Izuku sat up and through his arms around Katsuki sobbing, "Why didn't you help me!"

"You want to be a hero?"

"Yes…" Izuku sniffed.

"Well how do you expect to be able to protect others if you can't even protect yourself. I didn't help you because you need to learn. People aren't always going to be here to pick up your messes, Deku, they're not always going to be around to protect you. You're mommy isn't always going to be able to do things for you. So you gotta do them yourself."

"I'm only eight!" Izuku sobbed.

"Right… only eight. You got a long way to go then. But you'll get there. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

4th grade

"Kacchan look what I made!" Izuku cried showing Katsuki a story he'd written. His friend read it and said,

"Can I give you some constructive critique?"

"I guess so!"

"It sucks."

"That's not very constructive…"

"Go cry yourself a river." Katsuki said and turned back to his table.

"Kacchan, one of these days you're going to get in trouble for not doing any work, you know."

"No I won't. They'll never catch me, they're too dumb for that." Katsuki said. Izuku pouted because he didn't like Kacchan talking that way about their teachers but he supposed the other had a point. Maybe they weren't as smart as Izuku had thought because they never noticed Kacchan skipping all his school work.

Izuku thought Kacchan was lucky, he would love not to have to do any school work ever. Katsuki and Izuku had grown even closer since 3rd grade, and Izuku hadn't thought that was possible. He saw Kacchan pretty much 24/7 as he was always sleeping at Izuku's house and playing with him.

Izuku loved getting to see his friend so much, though it did bother him that he'd never been to Kacchan's house or seen his quirk. As he grew older it was occurring to him more and more that he really didn't know anything about his friend at all.

Izuku made up his mind that one day, he would ask.

But by the time class ended and they'd gotten home, Izuku had forgotten about that.

* * *

5th grade

"Kacchan, I was wondering, I've never been over to your house, and I don't even know what your quirk is. Will you tell me?"

"I have an explosion quirk, if you must know. And my family ain't none of your business, Deku!"

"Okay, I was just wondering. Can I see your quirk?"

Katsu paused and then nodded, "Fine, whatever," he said and he let his hands spark for Izuku to see.

"Wow, that's amazing, Kacchan! You're amazing! I wish I could do that!"

Katsuki smirked and shrugged, "Yeah, whatever, it's nothing that special."

"Kacchan, are you sick? You brag about everything!"

"I'm not sick, and fine, My quirk's the best of the best! You happy!" Izuku smiled and nodded.

"Yep, thanks Kacchan. But… I know it's selfish, but I wish I could wield a quirk and save someone… just once.

"You will save someone, I promise. I'll make it happen… somehow."

* * *

6th grade

Izuku cried on his knees as three boys stood around him, kicking his sides and arms mercilessly. "Please…" he begged. Kacchan wasn't here, where was Kacchan, why wasn't he here, Izuku needed him, needed someone to listen, anyone to listen. It hurt, it hurt so much, it felt like his heart was bursting.

It had been two days since Izuku last saw Kacchan. He wondered if the other boy had finally grown sick and tired of him and had left for good. Izuku wouldn't blame him, he would probably do the same if he knew someone else as pathetic as himself.

Izuku lay there on the ground long after they were gone, knowing he was late to class, but he couldn't even bring himself to care. He knew the teachers probably didn't either. It was only the first day and Izuku could already tell middle school was going to be the same as elementary. Everyone was still going to hate him, no matter what he did, or how hard he tried to fit in. He never would, he was an outsider, a quirkless, a deku.

Nothing felt right anymore.

He didn't even deserve to breathe the same air as everyone else.

He didn't know how long he laid there, but eventually class got out and he just stayed there as everyone roamed the halls.

"Deku, what're you doing on the ground." Izuku looked up, breathless.

"Kacchan… I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm still so pathetic. I tried to stand up to them this time, but nothing worked."

"Hey, it's okay, at least you tried." Katsuki said, extending his hand toward Izuku.

Izuku was hesitant, but he slowly reached out and took Katsuki's hand and let himself be helped up. He heard the snickers of the other classes and whispers of, "crazy," Izuku clenched his fists and stared at his feet, willing the tears not to fall.

"Ignore them," Katsuki said, "You'll always have me, come on Deku, let's go."

So Izuku followed.

* * *

7th grade

"Deku, don't do this!" Katsuki shouted as Izuku stood on the edge of a very tall building.

"I don't want to live anymore, Kacchan. I deserve to die. This is what I deserve."

"No, it isn't!" Katsuki was at a lost for what to do, Izuku was going to jump, he was. Katsuki knew it. "Don't, because if you do I'll…"

"You'll…" Izuku mocked. "DO WHAT!" he screamed in frustration, stepping closer to the edge.

"I'll jump too. After you jump, I'll jump. If you die, you kill me too!"

Izuku frowned as he stared at Katsuki. Well, he didn't like the sound of his best friend jumping off after him. Katsuki had an amazing quirk, he could go on to become a hero, though all they ever seemed to talk about were Izuku's problems.

"You said you wanted to save a life. Well save mine and yours by not jumping off this roof! Be a hero, I know you can be!

"I don't know if I can be." Izuku sobbed.

"You can, you have to!"

Izuku turned away from his friend to stare off the edge of the building.

Finally, after minutes of complete silence, Izuku slowly stepped away from the edge, down onto solid ground and just stood there. He felt Katsuki's arms wrap around him, and if he hadn't known any better he would've thought he felt tears on his back. But he knew that wasn't possible. It must've been Izuku's imagination or just the feeling of tears on his own cheeks.

* * *

8th grade

"It's my last year of middle school, Kacchan." Ever since the incident at the end of 7th grade, Katsuki rarely left Izuku's side anymore. He was starting to wonder if his friend even had parents. He detatched himself from his classmates and school, more and more.

It was to the point where he rarely went to school, only to take tests sometimes. But other than that he stayed home and just studied, occasionally going to get all the homework he missed and do it in a week before turning it back in. His grades weren't the best, he definitely wasn't an A student but he was passing with a C so that was enough for him.

All he knew was that he hated going to school now. It never helped with anything and the only good thing about going was seeing Kacchan, but since he was always hanging out with Izuku at home, there was no point anymore.

"Kacchan, I was wondering, were you going to try and become a hero too?"

"Yes, I'll go wherever you go." Katsuki answered.

"Okay, but it's like your dream, right?" Bakugou nodded and watched Izuku study from across the table. Izuku wasn't sure his mom liked Kacchan being there all the time because she never talked to him. Izuku understood his friend could be a bit volatile at times, but his mom was usually very understanding. Maybe she was just worried about Kacchan's parents. To be honest, at this point, so was Izuku.

"Well if it's your dream too, then we'll get into U.A. together!"

Katsuki grinned at him, "Of course we will. I am the best after all and I only hang with people who are just as good as me."

Izuku smiled, though he didn't think he could be compared to Kacchan at all. How could he be, when he was nothing and Katsuki had an amazing quirk. It was like comparing a lightbulb to the sun itself, an insult.

But Izuku didn't say anything and just went back to studying. He was almost done with middle school, almost free of his awful classmates. He just had to wait a couple more weeks till school was out.

...

On Monday, Izuku was walking home from school after going for a test, with several bruises hidden under his clothes, and strands of hair pulled over his face to hide a cut on his forehead. Kacchan wasn't with him and the longer he spent away from his only friend the sadder he got.

Walking under a bridge, his hands clutching his backpack, Izuku heard something behind him. He turned only to see green something shoot out from a place in the shadows and wrap itself around his body and abruptly there was a low menacing voice in his ear and he couldn't breathe.

"Kacchan!" Izuku's muffled scream came, allowing more sludge to slide back into his throat, making him gag and choke. "Help!" he screamed but he was sure no one could hear, no one ever heard. No one but Kacchan. "Please…" he cried, feeling tears come to his eyes as he clawed against the sludge to free himself.

From the corner of his eye he saw Kacchan, at the edge of the bridge and he stood there watching. Izuku's vision was so blurry he could barely make out any details. But his friend looked shocked and scared for him. But he just stood there. Izuku _needed _him. But he just stood there.

Izuku felt something hot burn in his heart, something fiery. Kacchan never had helped him, never had stepped in, even though he had an amazing quirk he never did a thing. In his rage all Izuku could see was black and red, blinding him. And when he could make the world out again, Kacchan was gone.

And Izuku doubted he was coming back to help.

But suddenly he felt himself dropped to the floor, stars in his eyes, brightening for just a moment before it disappeared, leaving him in complete darkness.

When he opened his eyes Izuku could make out a large figure in a suit and a huge smile on his face. Izuku's breath caught in his throat as he bolted upright and started coughing. "A-All Might!" he said, eyes wide.

"I am here. Sorry it took me so long, young man. I was almost too late, are you alright?"

Izuku stumbled over his words and fumbled for his backpack, looking around before he saw it, grabbing it and yanking out a notebook. "P-please auto—" but he already had. Izuku's eyes were huge as he looked up at the man he had idolized since he was four years old, standing here in front of him.

He could hardly believe his eyes.

All Might, the one and only standing in front of him.

Here was his chance.

Maybe he would finally find everything he needed to become a hero.

And somehow, it had happened. Izuku sat in his living room after a long day of chasing down villains, getting scolded for trying to play heroics, and learning All Might was going to train him to inherit his quirk.

It almost seemed like a dream, too good to be true.

He had to tell Kacchan, he had to! Izuku heard a knock at the entrance to the living room.

Izuku glanced up to see Katsuki with his knuckle on the wall and what looked to be an almost sheepish look on his face. "Hey," he said, coming over.

"Kacchan, you'll never believe what happened!"

"Oh, I think I will."

Izuku told his friend everything, anger from before nearly entirely forgotten. "He said he was going to train me! To inherit his quirk! I can get a real quirk! I can be a hero!"

Katsuki smiled at Izuku sadly and nodded, "Yeah, I know you can."

"Also, don't tell anyone this! It's a secret, you can't even tell my mom! All Might said no one was supposed to know, but you're my best friend so I made an exception."

"I guess you'll be busy all summer."

"Yeah, but we can still find time to hang out!"

"Yeah, I'm sure we can." Katsuki echoed.

So, the months of summer passed, but Izuku barely saw Katsuki. There was a shadow of him here, a glimpse of him there, one or two words of encouragement or tough love or something when he needed them. But Izuku was too busy training and working and trying to get his body ready to inherit One for All to spend much time with him.

Finally summer ended, and Izuku was ready for the entrance exam. He barely even thought of Kacchan in the weeks leading up to it, too excited, too focused, he'd never had a chance like this. No way was he going to blow it!

* * *

9th grade

Izuku finally made it to U.A, he was living out his dreams. He made friends, he actually made friends! Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu, Todoroki, he was happier than he ever had been. The past few months had been a dream come true.

It made him glad he hadn't jumped and thankful Katsuki had convinced him to step down. Kacchan…

He hadn't seen Kacchan in a while.

He started feeling sad about that, he wanted to see his friend, but Izuku didn't know what had happened. One day, Katsuki had just stopped showing up.

Izuku hadn't really given it much thought though, until now at midnight while lying in his bed trying to go to sleep. "Hey,"

Izuku jumped nearly five feet in the air at the voice. Glancing over, he saw Kacchan near his bedroom window. "Kacchan! You scared me," Izuku cried, breathing somewhat heavily. "You just keep showing up whenever I think about you."

"Yeah, listen, Izuku,"

Izuku sat up, Kacchan only called him by his name when things were serious. "That's what I came to talk about. I notice you thinking of me less and less."

"Yeah, I've been busy, I'm sorry Kacchan."

Katsuki stared at him and Izuku shouldn't be able to see Kacchan's features in the dark, but for some reason they were very clear. Katsuki's crimson eyes glistened and he looked incredibly sad. "Kacchan…" Izuku said, starting to worry.

He got out of bed and walked over to Katsuki, "What is it?" he asked.

"I have to go."

"What…" Izuku said numbly.

"You don't need me anymore." He said, reaching his hand up, cupping Izuku's face. "You're a hero now, with real friends…"

"You _are_ my real friend." Izuku said confusedly.

"But that's what you have to understand now. I'm _not _your real friend. You know now, somewhere deep down you always knew. But you let me stay anyway, because back then you needed me as much as I needed you. But that's not right anymore. You need to let go now, I'm part of your childhood, that's where I should stay." He leaned his forehead against Izuku's.

Izuku's heart skipped a beat, as the world seemed to implode. It was deafeningly silent in his room, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. "What are you talking about?"

Katsuki sighed, "Haven't you ever wondered why no one notices me, why your mom stares at you concernedly whenever you talk to me, how the kids snicker when you talk out loud to me."

"I don't…" He frowned. Izuku had never thought anything of it… thought that they were laughing at how pathetic he was. That was the only explanation, after all.

"They can't _see _me, Izu." Izuku's breath caught in his throat. "I'm your creation, I'm your friend, you created me because you needed someone. I show up whenever you're sad, whenever you think of me, whenever you need me, but I can never help. You know it too, you know deep down."

"Kacchan, no! You're not making any sense!" Izuku cried.

"You don't want me to make sense! But you know what I am. I'm not around anymore because you never need to talk to me, because you have other friends now, other activities now, you're a hero now."

"No! Shut up!" Izuku screamed. "It's not true, shut up!"

Katsuki smiled at him, "You realize now, you know I'm right. You know you have to let go, you know I'm in the past, you know I will disappear!"

Izuku sobbed and shook his head, "You know I will, whether you want me to or not."

"No! No you won't! You'll be right here… you were always here, the only one ever here. I love you, you're my best friend, you can't leave. YOU CAN'T! I won't let you!" but the words sounded hollow, even to his own ears. Sounded fake, half-baked, not right. Too innocent, too naïve, not when deep down Izuku knew the truth, knew everything was already falling apart.

Knew that his childhood friend had been slipping between his fingers for a long time.

Knew that he was letting go.

"It'll never be the same, Izu, you have to let go, it'll happen."

"But how will I know you're gone… when will you be gone forever." Izuku asked, but he already knew the answer.

"When you don't need me, and you don't need me right now, you never will again, because there are others. People who are real, people who love you, people who's love is real."

"You're real, we both are, everything that happened to us is real…" Izuku muttered, but his heart was heavy. This felt so real, like he was talking to an actual person instead of something he subconsciously created. Something he discarded now that he no longer needed it.

It made him feel awful and weak. Like someone who didn't deserve what they'd been given.

"Every interaction was something your mind subconsciously needed. I'm not real, nothing we had was ever real. And when I'm gone, it'll be like I was never there. You'll forget, they all do, they always will."

"I'll never forget you." He whispered.

"You will. No one remembers something that doesn't exist. No one ever remembers something Imaginary."

_Imaginary_

The word echoed in Izuku's mind. Suddenly, his whole world was uprooted by that single word, and he was left fumbling for control, a hopeless battle, but one he couldn't afford to lose. He had to stay strong, to be a hero, that was what Kacchan had always taught him anyway. It was hard to do it, he almost didn't want to win, didn't want to be a hero now, but in the end he didn't really have much of a choice. "I love you." He whispered, staring up at Kacchan.

"They all did."

Someone who had always been there for him. Someone he would only ever see in dreams. It all felt so sad, the memories he had with this person he had created slowly disappearing as he realized those memories were fake, that they'd never even happened.

And he was gone. All Izuku had left were shadows and memories of his friend. The friend that had been there all his life, gone, forever. No more. Everything they had been through wasn't real. Izuku felt no tears in his eyes anymore though as he stared down at his hands he came to the hard conclusion that his friend wasn't a real person, wasn't even his friend. Never had been. He was just imaginary, the creation of a lonely boy with nothing.

But he wasn't that boy anymore, he was a hero now. A hero. The word sounded nice in his mind.

Izuku smiled sadly. Katsuki's last words in response to his 'I love you' was that they all had. There had been more than one. He didn't even know what Katsuki was, but he was a hero, Izuku's hero, and many other lonely children. In different forms, not in Katsuki Bakugou, but they were all the same at heart. Truly good people, and now that person, that figment was gone to him.

Smile gone to him forever, eyes gone to him forever, words gone to him forever. He supposed the saying that you never truly appreciated something until it was gone was true. He thought they were forever, but he had been wrong. Now, his friend, his _best _friend belonged walking in another imagination. The last thing he could say now was, "Goodbye."

* * *

**A/N This idea had been floating around in my head for a while. I actually started it months ago and just now finished it this week. I wish all my stories could be as organized and thought out like this one, but some of them end up going off the rails. As for this story, if you didn't get it (it happens to the best of us) basically Izuku created Katsuki because he needed a friend but Katsuki is an imaginary friend and disappeared when Izuku no longer needed him. Or in other words, this is a very literal representation of growing up. I think most of us have had an imaginary friend or something that gives us strength in childhood that we forget as we grow older and no longer need them because they've already helped us become who we are. In this case, Izuku hadn't any friends for a very long time and so Katsuki stuck around for a long time, but in the end, even Izuku let go just as we all do (I think...) I once had a stuffed lamb I loved to death even tho it was missing an eye. But I stuffed in my toy oven and forgot about it for months until I found it. I don't even really know what happened to it, but I doubt I'll ever truly forget it.**

**This is also a bit of an apology update because no Loving Villains is out yet. I'm finished with the chapter but I think it needs to undergo major editing which will take some time (sorry). But I hope you enjoyed this little story about growing up and letting go, I enjoyed writing it. I love hearing what you think (I'm a little insecure about the end even after editing it. Believe me, at first Izuku was really hysterical... like really. I edited though and now he's a little more numb and accepting even after denying it at first) thank you so much for reading, hopefully loving villains will have an update soon, bye!**


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